Guided navigation of a mining vehicle

ABSTRACT

A system and method for guided navigation of a mining vehicle are presented. A position sensor is mounted to a haul truck. The position sensor is configured to identify a position of the haul truck. A navigation aid is configured to identify a target destination for the haul truck, calculate a path including the target destination, and use the position sensor to monitor a progress of the haul truck along the path. A user interface is configured to display at least a portion of the path to an operator of the haul truck.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/052,543 entitled “GUIDED MANEUVERING OF A MINING VEHICLE TO A TARGETDESTINATION” and filed on Oct. 11, 2013, which is a divisionalapplication of and incorporates by reference U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/217,113 entitled “GUIDED MANEUVERING OF A MINING VEHICLE TOA TARGET DESTINATION” and filed on Aug. 24, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure is related to systems and methods for providingautomated guidance directions to operators of heavy equipment, andspecifically, to a system and method for providing guidance maneuveringassistance to heavy equipment operators in proximity with other heavyequipment, hazards, or geographical features.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mining environments, particularly open pit surface mining environments,present unique challenges to maintaining safe operation of vehicles. Theworkhorse of a modern surface mine is a mine haul truck, which is a dumptruck capable of hauling up to four hundred, and in some cases over fourhundred, tons of material. Haul trucks are some of the largest landvehicles ever built. As such, they are characterized by limitedmaneuverability, relatively slow acceleration and deceleration, and poorsight lines on every side of the vehicle. In particular, the rear andside opposite to the operator's cabin of a mine-haul truck presentenormous blind spots for the haul truck operator.

Within a mining environment there may be many other vehicles such asshovels, dozers, bucket wheel excavators, or other equipment that areeach similarly difficult to control. Because the vehicles are so large,they can have large blind spots, large turning radii, and slow brakingcapabilities, making navigating the vehicles to a given destinationextremely difficult. In many cases, though, by accurately positioningthese vehicles in proximity to other vehicles or geographical featuresof the mine, the mine's efficiency can be greatly improved.Additionally, through accurate navigation, dangers of injury or propertydamage resulting from a collision can be mitigated.

In one example of conventional pit mining operations, material isblasted from a face, picked up by a shovel, and loaded into the bed of ahaul truck. The haul truck then moves the material to a crusher forprocessing. Shovels can be several times larger than a haul truck. Atypical electric shovel can measure 100 feet in length from the rear ofthe crawler portion to the end of the bucket. The overall height of theshovel can measure 70 feet with a typical bucket height of 45 feet. Atypical distance from the center of rotation of a shovel to the distalend of the bucket is 80 feet.

Haul truck loading tends to be a rate limiting operation in the materialextraction process of a mine. Conventionally, a haul truck will back upalong a path that is perpendicular to a face to a position on one sideof the shovel. Once the truck is in position beside the shovel, theshovel operator will retrieve material from the face and load the truck.Once loaded, the truck proceeds to a crusher. Given the size andresponsiveness of a conventional mine truck, the process of navigating atruck into a desired position can take some time. Additionally, acollision between a mine haul truck and a shovel or other miningequipment can be catastrophic resulting in not only injury or death, butin millions of dollars in equipment damage and downtime. Accordingly,mine-haul truck drivers tend to be tentative when moving their vehiclesinto position for loading, further reducing the vehicle's efficiency.

Ideally, as a first truck is being loaded on a first side of a shovel, asecond truck will move into position on the other side. This maximizesthe use of the shovel, allowing it to be continuously engaged in theloading operation, rather than waiting for the next truck to move intoposition.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional solution for assisting a mine-haul truck tonavigate into a loading area besides a shovel. In the arrangement ofFIG. 1, power shovel 105 is working at a mine face 102. Power shovel 105includes lower assembly 110. Lower assembly 110 includes first andsecond crawler tread 115 a, and 115 b. Power shovel 105 includes anupper assembly 120, which is rotationally coupled to lower assembly 110via a rotational bearing 125. Upper assembly 120 includes boom 127.Attached to boom 127 at a hinge is a handle 130. At a distal end ofhandle 130 is a bucket 135. Upper assembly 120 also includes a cab 140in which an operator of power shovel 105 resides. In the exampleoperation shown in FIG. 1, power shovel 105 is electrically powered viadragline tether 145 which provides electrical energy to shovel 105.Other shovels, such as hydraulic shovels, may not be powered via adragline tether or power cable and instead can operate independently. Ineither case, the upper assembly of a shovel often presents a largestructure extending rearwards away from the shovel's cab. As the shovelrotates, both the boom and rear portion of the upper assembly can pose ahazard to nearby objects as it rotates about the shovel's rotationalbearing. Because the shovel and upper assembly must enclose additionalpower generation machinery, the upper assembly of a hydraulic diggerthat does not rely on a dragline for power generally extends further ina rearward direction from the shovel's cab.

The conventional arrangement of FIG. 1 shows a first mine haul truck 150in position to receive material from shovel 105. During the loading offirst haul truck 150, however, shovel 105 is rotating back and forthbetween the first loading position and the face 102. As such, secondhaul truck 165, which would otherwise be positioned on the opposite sideof power shovel 105 from first haul truck 150, must keep clear of thearc of the tale and corners of the upper assembly 120 while loading isoccurring at the first loading position. The dangers inherent in backinga haul truck up to an operating shovel often cause truck operators todelay moving into position until the bucket of the shovel is alreadypositioned over the second loading position. This results in wastefuldowntime.

The conventional solution to this problem is to attach a boom 155 endingin a highly visible marker 160 to the tail of the shovel 105.Occasionally, power line markers or traffic cones are used for thehighly visible marker 160. Conventionally, the operator of the secondtruck 165 will use the highly visible marker 160 to align the secondtruck 165 while the first truck is being loaded. After loading of thefirst truck 150 is complete, and the shovel rotates the bucket back tothe face 102 to pick up more material, the second truck 165 backs intoposition.

Systems have been developed that track the location of mine haul truckswith respect to potential hazards. For example, co-owned U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2009/0062971 discloses a GPS based systemfor defining routes and potential hazards in a mining environment.Co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,100 discloses a permission system forcontrolling interaction between autonomous vehicles in a miningenvironment, U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,500 B2 to Lemelson et al., describes asystem that uses GPS systems on vehicles, augmented by more accurateposition sensors, to alert a vehicle operator of hazards in theoperator's vicinity, including other vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,114B1 to Rogers et al., describes a hazard warning system for marinevessels. The Rogers system takes GPS position and data information frommarine vessels and forwards that information to those vessels hazardalerts based on the positions of other vessels as well as fixed andsemi-fixed hazards derived from nautical charts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide for using GPS and other geolocationtechnology to guide operators of mine haul trucks into position at amining facility. Specifically, embodiments of the invention use positiontracking and guidance systems to assist an operator of a mining vehicle,or to control directly an autonomous vehicle, in positioning a vehicleat a predetermined location with respect to another mining vehicle or aparticular geographical feature.

In one implementation, the present invention is a system for navigatinga haul truck through a mining environment to a target destinationassociated with a shovel. The target destination is located within aloading area proximate the shovel. The system includes a distributedobjects database storing information describing hazards, boundaries andtarget destinations within the mining environment, and a position sensorconfigured to identify a position and an orientation of the haul truck.The position sensor is mounted to the haul truck. The system includes anavigation aid configured to retrieve a location of the targetdestination associated with the shovel from the distributed objectsdatabase, wherein the location of the target destination is at leastpartially determined by a position of the shovel, and at least one of atail drag radius of the shovel, a corner drag radius of the shovel, anda boom radius of the shovel. The navigation aid is configured tocalculate a path from a current position of the haul truck to thelocation of the target destination. The calculated path is selected toavoid hazards within the mining environment. The navigation aid isconfigured to use the position sensor to monitor a progress of the haultruck along the calculated path. The system includes a user interfaceconfigured to display at least a portion of the calculated path to anoperator of the haul truck.

In another implementation, the present invention includes a method fornavigating a first heavy equipment to a target destination. The methodincludes retrieving a location of the target destination from adistributed objects database. The location of the target destination isat least partially determined by a position of a second heavy equipment.The method includes using a position sensor to identify a currentposition and orientation of the first heavy equipment, and calculating apath from the current position of the first heavy equipment to thelocation of the target destination. The calculated path is selected toavoid hazards. The method includes monitoring a progress of the firstheavy equipment along the calculated path using the position sensor,and, when the first heavy equipment deviates from the calculated path,outputting a message to an operator of at least one of the first heavyequipment and the second heavy equipment.

In another implementation, the present invention includes a method fornavigating a haul truck into a loading area. The method includesproviding a heavy equipment location, and, on the basis of the heavyequipment location, defining at least a first and a second loadingenvelope in a distributed objects database. The method includesnavigating the haul truck into one of the first and second loadingenvelope.

Embodiments of the invention have a number of advantages. Embodiments ofthe invention use existing route definition and navigation systems toguide mine-haul truck operators into position with more speed andconfidence than is provided by prior art ad-hoc spotting techniques.This allows for maximum utilization of power shovel time, allowingcontinuous loading under systems according to the invention. In variousembodiments according to the invention, power shovels need notreposition themselves or wait for a haul truck to get into position.Additionally, haul trucks can be guided along routes that are free fromhazards.

Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent to thosehaving ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detaileddescription and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional arrangement for guidinghaul trucks into a loading position.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an open pit mining environment with anetworked data collection and transmission system according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the components of anavigation system running on a mobile computing device located at avehicle according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example arrangement of a mine haul truckand a shovel where loading areas are arranged proximate to the shovel.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for navigating avehicle to a target destination according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating steps of an alternative method fornavigating a mining vehicle to a destination in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 7-12 are flow charts illustrating additional details of various ofthe steps of the present method.

FIG. 13 shows an example use of the present system to assist trucks inentering and leaving loading areas defined proximate to a shovel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Some of the functional units described in this specification have beenlabeled as modules in order to more particularly emphasize theirimplementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented asa hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays,off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or otherdiscrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmablehardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmablearray logic, programmable logic devices, or the like.

Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by varioustypes of processors. An identified module of executable code may, forexample, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computerinstructions which may, for example, be organized as an object,procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identifiedmodule need not be physically located together, but may comprisedisparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joinedlogically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purposefor the module.

Indeed, a module of executable code may be a single instruction, or manyinstructions, and may even be distributed over several different codesegments, among different programs, and across several memory devices.Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated hereinwithin modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organizedwithin any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may becollected as a single data set, or may be distributed over differentlocations including over different storage devices, and may exist, atleast partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.

Reference to a signal bearing medium may take any form capable ofgenerating a signal, causing a signal to be generated, or causingexecution of a program of machine-readable instructions on a digitalprocessing apparatus. A signal bearing medium may be embodied by atransmission line, a compact disk, digital-video disk, a magnetic tape,a Bernoulli drive, a magnetic disk, punch card, flash memory, integratedcircuits, or other digital processing apparatus memory device.

The schematic flow chart diagrams included are generally set forth aslogical flow chart diagrams. As such, the depicted order and labeledsteps are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method. Othersteps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function,logic, or effect to one or more steps, or portions thereof, of theillustrated method. Additionally, the format and symbols employed areprovided to explain the logical steps of the method and are understoodnot to limit the scope of the method. Although various arrow types andline types may be employed in the flow chart diagrams, they areunderstood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method. Indeed,some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logicalflow of the method. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting ormonitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps ofthe depicted method. Additionally, the order in which a particularmethod occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of thecorresponding steps shown.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics ofthe invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details areprovided, such as examples of programming, software modules, userselections, network transactions, database queries, database structures,hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, etc., to provide athorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled inthe relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may bepracticed without one or more of the specific details, or with othermethods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances,well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown ordescribed in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

This invention is described in preferred embodiments in the followingdescription with reference to the Figures, in which like numbersrepresent the same or similar elements. Reference throughout thisspecification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar languagemeans that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodimentof the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in oneembodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout thisspecification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the sameembodiment.

Where, “data storage media,” or “computer readable media” is used,Applicants mean an information storage medium in combination with thehardware, firmware, and/or software, needed to write information to, andread information from, that information storage medium. In certainembodiments, the information storage medium comprises a magneticinformation storage medium, such as and without limitation, a magneticdisk, magnetic tape, and the like. In certain embodiments, theinformation storage medium comprises an optical information storagemedium, such as and without limitation, a CD, DVD (Digital VersatileDisk), HD-DVD (High Definition DVD), BD (Blue-Ray Disk) and the like. Incertain embodiments, the information storage medium comprises anelectronic information storage medium, such as and without limitation, aPROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash PROM, compactflash, smartmedia, and the like.In certain embodiments, the information storage medium comprises aholographic information storage medium.

Reference is made throughout this specification to “signals.” Signalscan be any time varying electromagnetic waveform, whether or not encodedwith recoverable information. Signals, within the scope of thisspecification, can be modulated, or not, according to any modulation orencoding scheme. Additionally, any Fourier component of a signal, orcombination of Fourier components, should be considered itself a signalas that term is used throughout this specification.

The present system facilitates the navigation of a mining vehicle orother heavy equipment such as a haul truck, shovel, dozer, or excavatorto a desired target destination. The system first generates a listing oftarget destinations. The target destinations may include static sitessuch as parking areas or repair facilities. In other cases, the targetsare moveable as they may be defined by changing geographical features ormay be defined by the position of another vehicle. An operator of thevehicle selects the intended target destination and the present systemcalculates a most appropriate path to the target destination. In otherimplementations, a supervisory controller selects the intended target.The supervisory controller may be implemented via an automateddecision-making software system or an individual acting in a supervisorycapacity. The path is selected to optimize efficiency for navigating thevehicle to the target destination, but can also be optimized for safety.In other implementations, the path may also be optimized for variousfactors defined on a case-by-case basis. Other factors, for example,could include operator experience, operator training requirements, orother characteristics of the operator or the vehicle. After determiningthe path, the present system generates a display or other output thatdemonstrates the path to the vehicle operator. As the vehicle navigatesalong the path, the present system provides constant feedback to ensurethe operator is following the selected path.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an open pit mining environment wheresystems and methods according to embodiments of the invention areimplemented. In the environment of FIG. 2, a plurality of mine haultrucks 205 a-c operate on a mine haul route network 210. Mine haultrucks 205 a-c perform hauling tasks, for example, by moving materialbetween a shovel site 225 a crusher site 220 and a dump or stockpilesite 215.

Each mine haul truck 205 a-c is equipped with an array of navigation,communication, and data gathering equipment that assist the haul truck'soperator. Each mine haul truck is equipped with a mobile computingdevice, for example, a tablet personal computer, a personal digitalassistant, or a “smart phone” for implementing the present system. Themobile computing device includes the basic functionality common to allcomputing devices, specifically, data processing, storage, input andoutput devices like displays, speakers and either dedicated or on-screenkeyboards, and network communications interfaces. The mobile computingdevice and its functionality are discussed in greater detail below withrespect to FIG. 3.

Each mine haul truck's mobile computing device is configured to receivedata from a Global Positioning System receiver, which generatesinformation about the time-varying position of the truck. Additionally,or alternatively, each mine truck's mobile computing unit receives datafrom a geolocation receiver, which generates information about thetime-varying position of the truck based on transmissions fromtransmitters located terrestrially, within the mining environment. Themobile computing device may also communicate with on-board sensors suchas gyroscopes or inertial navigation systems for locating the haul truckwithin the mine environment.

Each mine haul truck's mobile computing device operates in communicationwith a transceiver, which exchanges data directly with other mine haultrucks and with a mine communications network 230 a, 230 b, and 240. InFIG. 2, the mine communications network is represented as a collectionof wireless data transceivers, such as would be suitable in implementinga WiFi 802.11g or 802.11n, WiMax, GPRS, EDGE or equivalent network.These network architecture examples, however, are not limiting.

In practice, a mine communications network is typically an ad-hocnetwork consisting of various wired and wireless portions. The distancesover which communications may occur in a mining environment, combinedwith the challenging and ever-changing topography of a mine, oftenprevent using strictly WiFi transceivers. The wireless portions of amine communications network may not always be implemented usingcontemporary standards, and may include slower legacy systems. The onlyrequirement for a mine communications network is that it allow for, atleast, the sharing of data between a central mine management computerlocated at a central site 235, with a plurality of mine haul trucks 205a-c. In certain embodiments, central site 235 includes a centralcommunications node 240 and a central computing device, for example, thedevice discussed below with respect to FIG. 3. In certain embodiments,transceivers located at the mine haul trucks 205 a-c can act as networkpeers and may share information with one another directly, without theneed to be in direct communication with the wider mine communicationsnetwork.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, power shovel 227 has a mobile computingdevice in communication with the communications network over atransceiver located at power shovel 227. The mobile computing device,which performs functions similar to those performed by the mobilecomputing devices located at mine haul trucks 205 a-c, is at leastadapted to communicate the position of the power shovel 227 to a centralmine management application.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating functional components of the presentsystem for aiding navigation of a vehicle to a particular targetdestination. The system includes a number of sensors, databases (eitherlocally accessible or accessed via a wireless electronic communicationsnetwork), and processing elements. The system is configured to generatea listing of candidate target destinations for the vehicle. The targetdestinations may include fixed locations such as parking spaces, crusherlocations, repair facilities, fueling facilities, or dump sites. Thetarget destinations may also include movable targets, though, such asmoving faces within the mining environment, moving vehicles, or movingroadways, for example. In some cases, the target destinations arethemselves defined by the positions of other objects. For example, anumber of target destinations may be defined around the perimeter of ashovel—for example at each side of the shovel, or may be defined basedupon the position of other vehicles.

After generating the listing of candidate target destinations, a user,supervisor, or supervisory controller system selects a particulardestination and, after verifying that the destination is valid, thesystem generates a path to the destination. The system can usecharacteristics of the vehicle, driver (including, for example, criteriafor evaluating when the equipment has exceeded, or will exceed, itsacceptable operational limits), and known hazards and boundaries withinthe mining environment to calculate the most appropriate path. To selecta particular path, a number of candidate paths can be generated. Thepaths are then ranked based upon one or more criteria (e.g., safety,efficiency, or simplicity) and the best path is selected.

After selecting the best path to the selected target destination, thepresent system is configured to monitor a movement of the vehicle alongthat path and provide constant feedback to an operator of the vehicle(either human or a computer system in the case of an autonomousvehicle). The constant feedback allows for errors in the path of thevehicle to be corrected. If however, the vehicle navigates to a positionwhere it is impossible or extremely difficult for the vehicle to returnto the selected path (e.g., it would exceed the vehicle's operationallimits for the vehicle to do so), the present system can be configuredto abort the current path and calculate a new, replacement path to theselected destination.

One or more components of the system can be mounted within the vehicle.In various implementations, though, one or more of the systems (e.g.,the various databases) may be installed at a central location of themine where they may be updated and monitored by a central computingsystem. Generally, the components of the system shown in FIG. 3 may beinstalled directly into the heavy equipment vehicle and in directcommunication with one another, or, if configured at a location awayfrom the vehicle, the components are in wireless communication with thevehicle and components mounted therein. In other implementations, toprovide redundancy, one or more of the systems illustrated in FIG. 3 maybe duplicated in both the heavy equipment vehicle and an offsitelocation, for example, to provide redundancy.

In FIG. 3 system 300 includes a position sensor 302. The position sensor302 detects the position of the vehicle, for example, by triangulatingthe vehicle's position in relation to fixed satellites, such as is knownin GPS related art. The position sensor 302 might also determine theposition of the vehicle by other means such as by triangulating thevehicle's position in relation to terrestrial transmitters located in amining environment. In certain embodiments, WiFi or WiMax networktransceivers with fixed, known positions may be used to provideterrestrial points of reference. The position sensor 302 optionally canuse a combination of methods or systems to determine position, forexample, by determining a rough position using UPS and performing errorcorrection by terrestrial references, such as broadcasting beaconsmounted in and around the mining environment or other terrestrialreference points. In alternative embodiments, position sensor 302 alsotakes data from conventional RFID, RADAR, optical or other proximity orcollision warning systems. These conventional systems can provide awarning signal to the vehicle operator and/or the operator of equipmentin proximity to the vehicle if a piece of equipment such as a mine haultruck comes within some predefined range of another piece of equipment.Position sensor 302 also includes one or more systems for determining anorientation of the vehicle. In some cases, orientation may be determinedby an electronically-readable compass or other systems that uses theearth's magnetic poles to determine orientation. In other cases, thevehicle's orientation may be sensed using one or more terrestrialbeacons or devices mounted in and around the mining environment. Inother cases, the vehicle's orientation can be determinedalgorithmically, for example by tracking a movement of the vehicle overtime, sensor 302 can make an accurate determination of the vehicle'sorientation.

In other implementations, position sensor 302 is assisted by a number ofexternal devices that are mounted around various objects in the miningenvironment to assist in determining a location and an orientation ofthe vehicle. For example, a number of radar, LIDAR, laser, or otherobject-detection systems could be installed at the entrance to a crusherbay or other equipment disposed around the mining environment. As avehicle approaches the bay, object-detection systems can scan theentrance to the bay and communicate the results of their scan to thevehicle. The vehicle uses the information received from theexternally-mounted object-detection systems to supplement theinformation retrieved from position sensor 302 to generate a moreaccurate description of the vehicle's current position and orientation.These object-detection systems can be used in any location of the miningenvironment, but may be particularly useful at bay entrances or at anylocation where a vehicle must navigate particularly accurately. Theseexternally-mounted systems can be mounted on any equipment, features, orobjects within the mining environment (e.g., shovels, buildings,crushers, etc.). The externally-mounted systems allow for peer-to-peeraggregation of vehicle and object positional data within the miningenvironment allowing for more accurate information that can be acquiredfrom sensors mounted on a single vehicle. In one exampleexternally-mounted sensor system, a particular shovel may have a mountedscanning laser to accurately determine the position of a truck relativeto the shovel. The data collected by the shovel using the laser systemcan then be communicated to the truck. That additional data can then beused by the truck to refine its own positional data with respect to theshovel. The combination of positional data collected by the truck'ssensors, as well as the shovel's sensors can then be used in navigatingthe truck into position beside the shovel, for example.

When interacting with externally mounted object-detection systems, theexternal systems may only be able to observe a small portion of thevehicle. For example, when using LIDAR, or radar for example, thesystems may only be able to communicate information regarding distancefrom the detection system to the side of the vehicle that is beingpresented to the object-detection system—the other sides of the vehiclewill be obscured. In that case, though, the present system can use theinformation received from the object-detection system (including thelocation of the object-detection system itself) to supplement dataretrieved from position sensor 302.

System 300 includes a number of databases storing information useful inproviding the functionality of the present disclosure. Distributedobjects database 304 stores a listing of objects that are present withinthe mining environment. Distributed objects database 304 can storelistings of candidate target destinations (where each object in thedatabase may be a target), the position of vehicles and hazards orboundaries within the mining environment. Additional objects stored indistributed objects database 304 can include roadways, parking areas,repair facilities, buildings or structures, dumping areas, or powerlines.

For each object, distributed objects database 304 can store, in additionto the location information for each object, additional descriptiveinformation that identifies characteristics of the object. For example,in the case of vehicles, the database can store information describingthe type of vehicle, its size and capacity, its current status (e.g.,loaded or unloaded, in use or not in use, etc.), weight, and velocity.For each vehicle, the database may also store information describing theoperator of the vehicle (e.g., the operator's experience level, currentassignment, shift status, etc.). In the case of hazards, the databasecan store information describing the severity of the hazards and maydefine a number of hazard zones around each hazard. In fact, for eachobject, the database may define a number of hazard zones around theobject, with each zone (e.g., a circular area defined around the hazard)representing a different degree of danger. The database can also storeinformation describing roadways and boundaries of the miningenvironment. In the case of roadways, the database can store informationdescribing a weight limit for vehicles traversing the roadway.Additional information such as slope, consistency, and speed limit canbe stored.

In some cases, the objects defined within distributed objects database304 vary over time. Because the mining environment is constantly beingmodified by the mining operations, nearly all objects within distributedobjects database 304 can change over time. Accordingly, to ensure thatdatabase 304 contains up-to-date information, the contents may beperiodically refreshed via a connection to a central computer systemthat monitors the position and status of objects within the mineenvironment. Accordingly, whether distributed objects database 304 isbased in the vehicle, a central computer system, or a combination ofboth, distributed objects database 304 is configured to be constantlyupdated. Updates to distributed objects database 304 are distributedefficiently and the database reflects the known objects within themining environment at any point in time.

System 300 also includes vehicle condition monitor 306. Vehiclecondition monitor 306 is configured to monitor one or more systemswithin the vehicle and determine a current status or condition of thosesystems. In some cases, vehicle condition monitor 306 communicates withone or more vehicle sensor 308 mounted in and around the vehicle todetermine the current status of those systems. For example, vehiclecondition monitor 306 may monitor a current status of the vehicle's fuellevel or fuel status, wheel positions (e.g., in two-wheel or four-wheelconfigurations, the angle of the wheels can be measured), currentselected gear (e.g., forward or backward gears), braking status, etc.Vehicle condition monitor 306 can also determine whether the vehicle iscarrying a load or whether the vehicle is empty. Vehicle conditionmonitor 306 can also track a current speed of the vehicle. When thevehicle includes sensors for monitoring a health level of variouscomponents of the vehicle (e.g., engine temperature, tire pressure,battery charge levels), vehicle condition monitor 306 can alsocommunicate with those sensors to identify the current status of theconnected systems.

System 300 also includes configuration database 310. Configurationdatabase 310 stores information describing certain vehicle attributes orconditions that are to be met before the vehicle can undertake aparticular maneuver. For example, configuration database 310 may store aset of conditions that must be met before the vehicle can navigate to aparticular target destination. Example conditions include that thevehicle be in a forward gear, that any emergency braking systems bedisengaged, that the vehicle have sufficient fuel to complete aparticular journey, that the vehicle not be scheduled for emergencymaintenance that the vehicle must undergo before the navigation canoccur, etc. The set of conditions included in configuration database 310can be different based upon the vehicle and the particular maneuver thevehicle is attempting to undertake. Additional maneuvers may includedumping material, for which configuration database 310 would include acondition that the vehicle be carrying sufficient material to warrantdumping. As another example, before attempting a re-fueling maneuver,configuration database 310 may specify a condition that requires thevehicle to have less than a particular amount of fuel reservesavailable.

The remote application 300 includes a number of modules that act on datareceived from one or more of position sensor 302, distributed objectsdatabase 304, vehicle condition monitor 306, and configuration database310.

The remote application 300 includes navigation aid 322 that isconfigured to one or more of position sensor 302, distributed objectsdatabase 304, vehicle condition monitor 306, and configuration database310 to assist an operator of the vehicle to navigate to a particulartarget destination. To begin a navigation maneuver, navigation aid 322is configured to access position sensor 302 and distributed objectsdatabase 304 to identify a listing of potential target destinations. Thelist of potential targets can be filtered by navigation aid 322 on anumber of variables. For example, the listing can be ordered based uponproximity to the vehicle, with targets that are over a thresholddistance away being filtered out. Also, based upon various attributes ofthe vehicle (the attributes can be retrieved from vehicle conditionmonitor 306 and/or distributed objects database 304) the targets can befiltered. If, for example the vehicle is a shovel, then targets that areonly useful to haul trucks can be filtered out. Conversely, if thevehicle is a haul truck, only targets useful to haul trucks are used.Additionally, if the haul truck is fully loaded, for example, onlytargets that are useful to fully loaded haul trucks are included in thelisting of potential targets.

After identifying the listing of potential targets, navigation aid 322can display the listing via screen 320. A user interface (e.g., a touchscreen, keyboard, voice input, or other user input system) allows anoperator of the vehicle to select one of the targets. In otherimplementations, an automated system selects the target automaticallyand the selected target is displayed via the user interface.

After a particular target destination is selected, navigation aid 322uses position sensor 302, distributed objects database 304, vehiclecondition monitor 306 and configuration database 310 to identify a bestpath for the vehicle to follow in order to maneuver into position at thetarget.

After identifying a best path, navigation aid 322 verifies that thevehicle can begin moving using vehicle condition monitor 306 andconfiguration database 310. If so, navigation aid 322 constantlymonitors the current position of the vehicle with respect to theselected path using position sensor 302. Using the vehicle's currentposition and orientation, navigation aid 322 uses screen 320 to providefeedback to the vehicle operator to assist the operator in maneuveringthe vehicle along the selected path. As the vehicle begins to deviatefrom the selected path, for example, navigation aid 322 may use screen320 to provide feedback to the operator instructing the operator to turnthe vehicle to return to the selected path. Alternatively, feedbackcould be provided via other user interfaces 324. For example, navigationinstruction could be provided by the vehicle's rear view mirrors. Anumber of light sources (e.g., LEDs) may be disposed around the housingof the rear view mirror. By illuminating various combinations or colorsof the light sources, the vehicle operator can be instructed to maintainthe current course, steer to the left by a small degree, steer to theright by a small degree, steer to the left by a large degree, or steerto the right by a large degree. The light sources may also indicate whenno alignment with a defined route or path is possible. In otherimplementations, user interface 324 could include a heads-up display orvirtual reality output for displaying a particular path, route, or otherinformation for the vehicle operator. Additionally, voice instructioncould assist an operator in navigating a particular path.

In one implementation, navigation aid 322 uses screen 320 to display aroadmap illustrating the area in proximity to the vehicle. The map canbe supplemented to display various objects that are described indistributed objects database 304. For example, screen 320 could depictthe movements of other vehicles, the position of hazards as well ashazard zones defined around each hazard, roadways and various boundariesdefined within and surrounding the mine environment. The roadmaprepresentation can include any appropriate geographical features such asacceptable routes, route attributes, hazards, out-of-bounds areas andthe location of points of interest, for example, individual work sitesor pieces of equipment. Navigation aid 322 can optionally use screen 320to display overhead imaging data generated, for example, by satellite oraerial photography that is scaled and oriented to be co-extensive withthe representation of the roadmap system and stored within distributedobjects database 304, or another suitable data storage system.

Navigation aid 322 uses screen 320 to display the location of thevehicle on the visual representation of the roadmap system, overlaid onoverhead imaging data on screen 320. A graphical user interface (GUI),not shown, allows a user to alter the scale and orientation of thevisual representation of the roadmap system and plot acceptable routesbetween the current location of the remote vehicle and predefined pointsof interest.

In one implementation, navigation aid 322 is configured to operate inaccordance with the methods illustrated in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, forexample.

System 300 may also include speed checker 312. Speed checker 312 isconfigured to check the speed of the vehicle against an allowable speedretrieved from distributed objects database 304 for the vehicle'scurrent position (determined by position sensor 302). Speed checker 312can calculate the vehicle's speed using GPS or other data received fromthe position sensor or might read the vehicle's speed directly from thevehicle.

System 300 may also include proximity detector 314 that checks thevehicle's position against the location of objects defined indistributed objects database 304. The vehicle's position is typicallychecked against objects such as, for example, defined hazards, othervehicles, areas that have been defined as out-of-bounds or not on adefined route, or areas that are on a defined route but that only permita particular direction of travel. In some cases, proximity detector 314compares the vehicle's current position to a number of hazard zones thatare defined around a particular object. Depending upon which (if any)hazard zones the vehicle currently occupies, proximity detector 314 cancause different levels of alarm to be sounded for the operator of thevehicle.

Information from the speed tracker 312, proximity detector 314, and oneor more of vehicle sensors 308 is passed to violation manager 316.Violation manager 316 includes a rule set that compares the location andattitude of the vehicle with attributes defined in distributed objectsdatabase 304 and returns an indication if certain rules are violated.The rule set may comprise a selected route through a particularenvironment that has associated with it particular attributes that areinspected by violation manager 316 in view of the received sensor data.For example, the attributes may include operational tolerances of thevehicle attempting a particular maneuver. If the tolerances are to beexceeded by the vehicle as it progresses along the route, violationmanager 316 detects that a rule has been violated and outputs theviolation on a suitable user interface device, such as screen 320 orspeaker 318. Rules within violation manager 316 can optionally governsuch conditions as whether the remote vehicle has violated a speed limitassociated with a particular route, whether the vehicle is proceeding inthe wrong direction along a particular route, whether the remote vehiclehas left a designated route, entered an off-limits area, neared ahazard, or is too close to another vehicle. Rules included in theviolation manager 316 need not be Boolean. The violation manager can,for example, maintain various distances around hazards and triggerdifferent indications as the vehicle gets closer to the hazard.Similarly, violation manager 316 can return different indicationsdepending on how far off a designated road a vehicle has ventured.

Depending on the definition of the rule set of the violation manager316, system 300 can take varying actions when a rule is violated. When arule is violated, an indication can be sent from the remote vehicle to adifferent location, for example, a central application (not shown). Whena vehicle comes too close to a predefined hazard, for example, a centraloffice at the mine can be notified so that the event can be logged. Theviolation manager 316 can additionally or alternatively supply anaudible alarm to a speaker 318 or a visual alarm to a screen 320 visibleto the driver of the remote vehicle.

System 300 can optionally include a user messaging function to alert thevehicle operator of messages, such as instant messages or electronicmail, relayed to system 300 from a central application not shown. When auser receives a message, audible alarms can be sent to speaker 318 andvisual alarms as well as a display of the message itself can be sent toscreen 320.

System 300 may also optionally include a data storage module that isupdated from a central application (not shown). For example, system 300may include a database or other data storage system that stores roadmapdata, overhead imaging data, or time varying data on a remote vehicle'sposition and/or condition. The database can be periodically updated bythe central application (not shown), through a data synchronizer.

System 300 along with any necessary data storage and communicationshardware can be included in a variety of known devices, for example,handheld personal data assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, or “smart”cellular telephones.

FIG. 4 shows an arrangement for navigation assistance according to anembodiment of the invention. The arrangement of FIG. 4 shows a powershovel 405 positioned at a face 402 for loading operations and depictsan implementation of the present system where a haul truck uses thenavigation system to assist in positioning the haul truck at a loadingposition next to the shovel. In one implementation of the presentsystem, the illustration shown in FIG. 4 is displayed by navigation aid322 on screen 320 as shown in FIG. 3.

There are a number of shovel-related parameters of interest that areused to identify one or more loading target position around the shovel.The most significant parameter is the shovel's location that can bemeasured directly by a GPS receiver or calculated on the basis of knowndimensions of the shovel and the location of the GPS antenna. Additionaluseful parameters are the tail drag radius 420, the corner drag radius415, and the boom radius 425. These parameters set the outside envelopefor the space the shovel will occupy during loading operations and canbe defined in a database such as distributed objects database 304 shownin FIG. 3. These parameters are illustrated in FIG. 4 with reference tothe center of rotation of the upper assembly of shovel 405.

In FIG. 4, haul truck 404 wishes to navigate to a position beside shovel405 to receive material. Accordingly, the operator of truck 404 uses thepresent system to initiate a navigation maneuver. First, the presentsystem (e.g., navigation aid 322 and screen 320 of FIG. 3) identifiestwo candidate target destinations, loading area 430 and loading area435. The target destinations are displayed for the vehicle operator andthe operator can select one of the target destinations to initiate themaneuver. Alternatively, a target destination could be selectedautomatically, or a selection may be made by another individual orvehicle operator (e.g., a dozer operator at a dump, foreman, etc.)having control authority over the vehicle.

After selecting, for example, loading area 435 as the targetdestination, the present system determines an appropriate path 445 thattruck 404 can take to reach loading area 435. As seen in FIG. 4, theboundary of path 445 is selected to avoid cable 407 and other hazardsand boundaries that should be avoided by truck 404. Additionally,although at first, the boundaries of path 445 are relatively wide, astruck 404 approaches shovel 405, the path narrows to ensure that truck404 is safely guided into loading area 435.

To assist in navigating truck 404 into target area 435 externallymounted object-detection system 450 is mounted next to area 435. As thetruck approaches area 435, the truck communicates with system 450 toretrieve additional information describing the position and orientationof truck 404. In one implementation, system 450 includes a radar orLIDAR object detection system.

As discussed below, various attributes of loading area 435 such as size,preferred direction of entry, etc., can be at least partially determinedby various characteristics of truck 404.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating method 500 for navigation assistanceaccording to an embodiment of the invention that allows a truck to entera loading area defined next to a shovel. Method 500 is just one examplemethod and represents a high-level summary of steps undertaken by thepresent system that are illustrated in more details in FIGS. 6-12.

In step 502 of method 500, a central application running on, forexample, navigation aid 322 of FIG. 3 receives an identification of ashovel from which a truck wishes to receive material. Using the shovelidentification, the system retrieves information describing variousattributes of the shovel (e.g., tail drag radius, corner drag radius,and boom radius) and, using those attributes, identifies one or moreloading areas defined around the shovel in step 504.

The candidate loading areas are provided to the vehicle operator, and instep 506 the system identifies one of the loading areas that has beenselected by the operator. In step 508, after the selected loading areais identified, the system identifies an appropriate loading path thatmay be traveled by the vehicle to enter the selected loading area. Asdescribed below, the path is selected to avoid hazards and/or boundariesthat should be avoided by the vehicle as it navigates through the miningenvironment. Additional criteria may be defined for assessing whetherthe selected path has been successfully navigated.

In step 510, the defined loading path is displayed to the operator sothat the operator can begin to navigate the vehicle along the path. Alsoin step 510 the system continuously monitors characteristics of thevehicle (e.g., position, vehicle performance, and trajectory) to ensurethat the vehicle is staying within the defined path. As the vehiclebegins to deviate from the displayed path, the present system canprovide feedback to the vehicle operator to assist the operator inreturning to the displayed path. Accordingly, the present systemcontinuously monitors the performance of the vehicle with respect to thedefined path. In step 512, the vehicle reaches the identified loadingposition and the method finishes.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of method 600 fornavigating a mining vehicle or other heavy equipment to a destination inaccordance with the present disclosure. For several of the steps shownin FIG. 6, additional flowcharts showing an example implementation ofeach step are shown in FIGS. 7-12.

Method 600 may be implemented by system 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 anddescribed above, through other portable computer systems incommunication with various database and vehicle sensor systems that mayalso implement method 600. In some implementations, for example, themethod may be executed by computer hardware residing on the heavyequipment (e.g., mining vehicle), the centralized computer system, ormay be distributed across multiple systems. Method 600 uses data frommultiple data sources to identify a suitable target and assist a driveror automated system to navigating the heave equipment or other miningvehicle to that target. Example data sources may be provided by, forexample, the navigation system, vehicle status system, configurationdatabase, and distributed objects database described above (e.g.,distributed objects database 304, vehicle condition monitor 306, orconfiguration database 310). These databases may be made available byany appropriate computer system in communication with the softwareapplication executing method 600, such as software executed bynavigation aid 322 of FIG. 3.

Method 600 begins by initiating the guided activity in step 602. Step602 may involve connecting to necessary databases or systems, andpowering up necessary sensors and computer systems for implementingmethod 600. In step 604, the vehicle's current position and heading isdetermined. This step may also include determining the vehicle'sstarting condition and verifying that the vehicle is capable ofbeginning a particular maneuver.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a series of steps 700 that may beundertaken to complete step 604 of FIG. 6. In step 702 the currentvehicle attitude, position, velocity, and heading are determined, forexample by retrieving the corresponding data from the position sensor302 and/or vehicle condition monitor 306 of FIG. 3. Each data pointassociated with the current vehicle attitude, position, velocity, andheading may be associated with a confidence level indicating ananticipated accuracy of the data. The confidence levels can then be usedto determine margins of error that can be used to evaluate the safety ofa particular maneuver.

In step 702, additional vehicle condition data is retrieved from avehicle condition monitor (e.g., via vehicle condition monitor 306 ofFIG. 3). The vehicle condition data may include the current gearselection, payload, parking brake status, or other informationidentifying a condition of the vehicle that can be useful to determine acapability of the vehicle to execute a particular maneuver. Additionalinformation may include, for example, engine size, fuel reserves, tireor wheel types (indicating whether the vehicle is capable of travelingover particular types of terrain), maintenance or repair status(indicating, for example, whether the vehicle should avoid long distancemaneuvers). The vehicle condition data may also describe the vehicle'sperformance characteristics such as turning radius, maximum speed,optimum speed for fuel efficient operation, maximum slope that thevehicle can climb, weight of the vehicle, or other information that isused to determine whether the vehicle can proceed along a particularpath in a mining environment.

The condition data may also include condition data for the vehicleoperator. If, for example, the vehicle operator is nearing the end ofhis or her shift, a maximum distance or time duration estimate may beestablished for any particular maneuver to ensure that the driver cancomplete the maneuver in time to go off shift.

The vehicle condition data can also include a current work assignmentfor the vehicle.

Given the vehicle's position and current condition status in step 704,the system uses the positional, vehicle condition, and operatorcondition data to determine whether the vehicle is capable of beginninga particular maneuver or by identifying a class of suitable maneuvers.The system does this by retrieving information from a configurationdatabase (e.g., configuration database 310) that identifies attributesof suitable maneuvers that may be executed by the vehicle and/orconditions that must be met before a vehicle can begin a particularmaneuver.

For example, if the vehicle is currently carrying a full (or nearly fullload), the vehicle will be unable to begin any maneuvers involving thevehicle collecting additional material. As such, the set of candidateauthorized maneuvers will only include maneuvers involving the vehicledumping at least a portion of that load. Conversely, if the vehicle isempty, the set of maneuvers involving dumping material will be outsideof acceptable bounds.

Additionally, if the vehicle is low on fuel, or requires immediate orurgent maintenance, the class of acceptable maneuvers may only includethose that would rectify those deficiencies.

Also, the driver condition can be used to identify a class of acceptablemaneuvers. If, for example, the driver is only novice, certain, morecomplex maneuvers may be unacceptable. Similarly, if the driver isreaching end of shift, the set of acceptable maneuvers may be limited onthat basis.

The conditions may call for the vehicle being stopped or moving at aparticular speed or range of speeds before a maneuver can be initiated.The conditions may also call for a parking brake to be engaged ordisengaged before initiating a maneuver.

In step 706, if the vehicle positional data (e.g., position,orientation, and velocity), condition, and driver condition data areacceptable for beginning a maneuver, method 700 ends. If, however, thedata are outside of acceptable ranges, the method moves to step 708which allows an error to be displayed to an operator of the vehicle orother individuals or automated systems in communication with the presentsystem.

Returning to FIG. 6, after collecting the vehicle position and conditiondata in step 604, the method determines an appropriate target positionand heading in step 606. This step may involve the system retrieving alist of appropriate targets based upon the data collected in step 604and allowing the vehicle operator to select one of those targets.Because any particular mine environment may include a large number oftargets, the listing generated by step 606 can be filtered based uponthe data retrieved in step 604. For example, the list of targets willonly include targets that are within a certain distance, and compatiblewith the current orientation of the vehicle as well as the vehicle andthe driver's current condition.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a series of steps 800 that may beundertaken to complete step 606 of FIG. 6. In step 802, a listing ofpotential targets is retrieved from the distributed objects database(e.g., distributed objects database 304 of FIG. 3). Because a mine mayhave many hundreds (or thousands) of potential targets, the listing ofcandidate targets is filtered based upon the vehicle position andcondition data, as well as the operation condition data retrieved instep 604 of FIG. 6. The listing can also be filtered based upon thedistance of the target from the vehicle as well as the vehicle's currentjob assignment or vehicle capabilities.

As discussed above, the candidate targets may include static geographicfeatures within the mine such as bays at a repair facility, bays at acrusher, parking areas, or dumping sites. In some cases, though, thetargets are moveable. For example, in a listing of targets that may beaccessed by a shovel, the targets may include mining faces or otherlocations where the shovel can dig material. In that case, the target,although moving slowly, is moveable.

In other cases, the targets locations can be determined by the locationof a particular vehicle which is itself moveable. For example, when ahaul truck needs to receive material from a shovel, there may be severalcandidate target destinations located around that shovel. For example,as shown in FIG. 4, most shovels will have at least two targets locatedabout them, one on either side of the shovel. Other vehicles, such aslarger shovels, may provide for more than two targets for a haul truck.

When retrieving the list of candidate targets from the distributedobjects database, the distributed objects database may filter the listof targets based on their availability. For example, if the distributedobjects database defines two targets about a shovel, but one of thetargets is currently occupied by another haul truck, the distributedobjects database would not return that target as a candidate target.Similarly, if one or more bays at a crusher are down for repair, theywould not be included in the list of candidate targets. Or, if some baysof the crusher are preferred over others (for example, to balance wearand tear on the crusher or to even the flow of material through thecrusher), particular bays may be preferred over others, with theunpreferred bays being filtered out.

In some cases, where the targets include a number of bays at a crusher,the targets can be filtered based upon a material being carried by thevehicle. For example, by analyzing a position of the vehicle at which itpicked up material from a shovel, the type of material being carried bythe vehicle can be characterized by determining the type of materialbeing mined at that location. Alternatively, the type of material beingmined by the haul truck can be indicated as part of that truck'sassignment. The particular assignment can then be retrieved by thepresent system to identify potential dumping targets based upon thatassignment. Based upon that characterization of the truck's load,particular bays at a crusher can be filtered from the target list toensure that the material is being supplied to the most appropriate bayor bays at the crusher.

Information regarding whether a particular target is available, or isotherwise occupied, can be retrieved from the mine's central computersystem, for example, or can be updated within the distributed objectsdatabase.

Having retrieved the listing of candidate targets from the distributedobjects database, the present system compares the listing of candidatetargets to the vehicle positional and condition data as well as thevehicle operator's condition data. Based upon that comparison, the listof candidate targets is further refined. For example, targets that arebeyond a maximum distance away, or are irrelevant based upon thevehicle's current assignment are filtered out. Similarly, targets thatwould require too much skill for an untrained driver are filtered out ifthe driver does not have sufficient experience. Similarly, targets thatwould require too much time to navigate too are filtered out if there isinsufficient time left in the driver's shift to reach such adestination.

The candidate targets may also be filtered based upon the currentcondition of the vehicle. If the vehicle has no current scheduledmaintenance, targets relating to maintenance facilities can be filteredout. Also, targets can be filtered based upon whether the vehicle isconfigured to take on more material, or needs to dump some material.Additionally, if the vehicle is in need of fuel, targets that includefueling stations may be included in the list of candidate targets, wherethey would ordinarily be filtered out.

In step 804, the system determines whether the vehicle is controlled bya human or is automated. If controlled by a human, and the filteredlisting of candidate targets generated in step 802 contains multipleentries, (evaluated in step 805) the listing is displayed for theoperator in step 806 (e.g., via screen 320 of FIG. 3). In oneimplementation, the listing is filtered by distance and how well thetarget matches suitable uses for the vehicle and its current assignment.An automated system or the operator of the vehicle can then select oneof the targets in step 808. The vehicle operator may use an appropriateuser interface of the system to make the target selection.

In some cases, after executing step 808, the target selected by theoperator is communicated to a mine supervisor for additionalauthorization. For example, the selection may be communicated to themine's central computer system where the selection is displayed for asupervisor. The selection can then be evaluated by the supervisor andthe supervisor can approve or deny the selection. If approved, themethod would then move onto step 810. If, however, the supervisor deniesapproval, the method would return_to step 806 and the operator canselect another target.

In step 810, the target selected by the operator is displayed for theoperator's confirmation. If, the operator does not confirm the selection(evaluated in step 811), then the system may generate an error, or canreturn to step 806. If, however, the operator does confirm theselection, the method moves to step 812. In some implementations, tominimize target selection time, the steps requiring operatorconfirmation are skipped by the system. Additionally, in someimplementations the confirmation step illustrated by block 810 of FIG. 8is removed from the system and after completion of step 808, the systemmoves straight to step 812.

Returning to step 804, if the vehicle is autonomously controlled, andmultiple filtered targets were generated in step 802 (evaluated in step807), the system moves to step 814. In step 814, a supervisor (e.g., anindividual and/or automated system) reviews the list of targetsgenerated in step 802 and selects the most appropriate target for theautonomous vehicle. The supervisor can be a human, or, in some cases, anautomated mine supervisor system. The automated system evaluates thetarget listing in view of the other activities of other vehiclesoperating in the mine and automatically selects the most appropriatetarget. If only a single target was generated, though, the systemselects that target and moves to step 812 (in some implementations, thissingle target would also require approval by a supervisor). In step 812,the position and heading of the selected target is determined and thetarget is displayed to the vehicle operator for confirmation. The systemmay also then verify that any parameters associated with the selectedtarget fall with acceptable, predefined ranges.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a series of steps 900 that may beundertaken to complete step 802 of FIG. 8. In step 902, based upon theselected target, information describing the selected target is retrievedfrom the distributed objects database. The target information mayinclude whether the target is static or dynamic.

In step 904, the system evaluates whether the target is static ordynamic (i.e., capable of moving in a relatively short time frame). Ifstatic (e.g., a crusher bay, fuel bay, predetermined parking spot, orpredetermined dump spot), in step 906, the system stores target positionand associated data in a current target database. The associated datamay describe a particular path upon which the target should beapproached, a preferred orientation for the vehicle when positioned atthe target, or other target-based considerations that should be observedby the vehicle as it approaches or parks at the target.

If, however, the target is dynamic, in step 908, the system evaluatesthe target to determine whether the target position was specified by anequipment operator (e.g., by a shovel operator specifying targetspositioned on either side of the shovel). In that case, if the targetinformation has not changed (e.g., the position of the shovel has notchanged, and the operator has not indicated that the target is no longervalid), the system moves to step 906 and stores the target information.

If however, the targets were established by the target equipmentoperator and have changed (or may have changed), the system moves tostep 910 where a request is issued to the target equipment operator toconfirm, or re-establish the location of targets that are at leastpartially determined by the target vehicle location. In that case, thenew targets may have associated with them a lifetime after which thetargets are no longer valid.

Alternatively, the targets may be associated with a set of conditionsthat determine whether the target is valid. For example, when a shoveloperator defines a set of targets around the shovel (e.g., targets 430and 435 shown in FIG. 4), the targets may only he valid as long as theshovel remains unmoved. If, however, the shovel should move location,the targets would immediately become invalid and would have to bereestablished by the shovel operator. In some cases, though, targetswhose locations are defined by target vehicle position can be locatedbased upon a current position and orientation of the target vehiclewithout confirmation or feedback from an operator of the vehicle.

After receiving the updated or confirmed target locations from thetarget equipment operator, the target information is stored in step 906.After storing the target information (for example, in navigation aid 322of FIG. 3), the target information can be compared to the currentvehicle position and orientation to calculate a heading towards thetarget.

Returning to FIG. 8, after determining the target location and headingin step 812, as well as other target information (e.g., other parametersthat may be used to identify a suitable approach to the target asdetermined in step 812, or any preceding steps), the system verifiesthat the target location and information is within acceptableparameters. For example, the system may verify that the target is withinrange of the vehicle. Additionally, all parameters such as targetposition, heading, and any other data related to the target position andheading may be checked to ensure that it has not expired, is withinacceptable ranges, and has confidence levels that exceed predeterminedthresholds. For example, if the last position update from a targetvehicle or other moveable object was recorded more than a given numberof minutes or seconds in the past, then the position may no longer bevalid. Of course, validity requirements and confidence levels can differas between fixed and moveable targets positions or objects, with thefixed targets having a longer validity duration than moveable targets.

Returning to FIG. 6, after determining the target position and heading,in step 608, the system identifies hazardous conditions or boundariesthat may exist between the vehicle and the selected target. To performthis step, the system may access the distributed objects database thatstores positional data for equipment, hazardous areas, geographicalfeatures, and other objects or features within the mine environment. Thedistributed objects database may also store additional informationdescribing the hazards, such as a number of danger zones that may bedefined around each hazard, or speed limits that may be established forparticular routes through the mine.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a series of steps 1000 that may beundertaken to complete step 608 of FIG. 6. In step 1002, the systemretrieves all hazardous conditions and boundaries that exist within apredetermined distance from the vehicle and the selected target. Thehazards and boundaries can be retrieved from the distributed objectsdatabase described above. Each hazardous condition may have with it anassociated consequence for coming near the hazardous condition. Forexample, each hazard may be associated with potential consequences suchas “injury or death,” “equipment damage,” or “performance degradation”should the vehicle come into contact with, or enter a danger zone of aparticular hazard.

Each hazard or boundary retrieved from the distributed objects databasemay have associated with it a particular accuracy rating indicating aconfidence range for the accuracy of a particular hazard or boundarylocation.

In some cases, hazards may be somewhat dynamic. For example, hazardssuch as cable trees, blasting zones, other vehicles, or mining faces orcliffs can move continuously throughout the day. Accordingly, thedistributed objects database is configured to store the most up-to-datelocation information for all hazards and boundaries that is accessible.

If the accuracy ratings or confidence levels associated with the hazardsand boundaries are within acceptable levels_(evaluated in step 1003),the system moves to step 1004 to create a virtual map of the mine sitebetween the vehicle and the selected target that maps out hazards andboundaries that should be avoided by the vehicle when navigating to theselected target, otherwise an error may be generated. In someimplementations, the map has a limited validity period. Upon expirationof the validity period, the map is rebuilt to ensure that the vehicledoes not attempt to navigate using a stale map.

Returning to FIG. 6, in step 610, after identifying hazardous conditionsor boundaries that may exist between the vehicle and the selectedtarget, the system calculates a best path for the vehicle to theselected target in step 610 by calculating a path from the vehicle'scurrent position to the target position. The path is selected based uponthe defined criteria for success for the particular maneuver as well asestablished error conditions. Step 610 may also include calculatedacceptable tolerances and/or corridors of safe movement along thecalculated best path.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a series of steps 1100 that may beundertaken to complete step 610 of FIG. 6. In step 1102, the systemfirst identifies various performance characteristics of the vehicle. Thecharacteristics can include steering configurations, such as whether thevehicle has four-wheel steering, and the vehicle's turning radius,performance information, such as stopping capabilities, and vehiclecharacteristics such as weight (either when loaded or unloaded).Depending upon the type of vehicle, the vehicle characteristics may alsoinclude buffer zones defined around the vehicle, where the buffer zoneof the vehicle cannot overlap with any other hazards or boundariesidentified by the system. In larger vehicles, for example, the bufferzones may be particularly large to ensure the vehicle does not comesufficiently close to a particular hazard or boundary to create a riskthat an accident could occur. In some implementations, the buffer zonesare defined by the maximum area that particular components of thevehicle can cover. For example, the buffer zones around a shovel mayinclude the entire area that may be accessed by the shovel (e.g., thearea covered by the bucket at full extension when processed through 360degrees). In other cases, the buffer zones may be expanded to allow forthe vehicle's turning wheel jutting out from the body of the vehicleduring a turning maneuver). These vehicle characteristics (including thevehicle's buffer zone) can be retrieved from a vehicle condition monitorand/or configuration database (e.g., vehicle condition monitor 306and/or configuration database 310).

In step 1104, after retrieving the vehicle characteristics, the systemgenerates a first potential path between the vehicle and the selectedtarget. The first potential path can be generated using semi-randomoptimization and path planning, or any other suitable process oralgorithm for determining a candidate path. The path can be optimizedbased upon the data retrieved in step 1102, as well as any additionalinformation describing the intermediate terrain (e.g., the virtual mapgenerated in step 1004 of FIG. 10), or the selected target.

The potential paths can be limited by the vehicle's characteristics. Forexample, based upon the vehicle's turning radius, paths can be generatedthat would not require the vehicle to turn with a radius that isnarrower than the vehicle's own optimum turning radius. Similarly, basedupon the vehicle's ability to climb steep grades, the path can begenerated to avoid any roadways or other routes that would require thevehicle to climb a slope that is too steep. Also, based upon thevehicle's weight (either loaded or unloaded), the path can be selectedto ensure that the vehicle will only travel on roadways or paths thatcan support the necessary weight.

In one implementation, the potential paths are generated to minimize thebuild-up of ruts within the area between the vehicle and the target. Assuch, the system may be configured to inject a certain amount of‘dither’ into a particular path to ensure that vehicles traveling on thesame path do not create destructive or dangerous ruts. In oneimplementation, the position of each path through the mine environmentcan be adjusted based upon changing roadway conditions. As more and morevehicles utilize a particular roadway, for example, the position of thepath defined through that roadway can be adjusted to avoid too manyvehicles driving in the same area. Accordingly, in particular congestedareas, the system can generate ‘anti-rut’ paths that are each configuredto prevent multiple vehicles using the identical (or similar) paths toprevent rutting.

In one implementation, to prevent rutting, paths generated throughcongested areas are periodically varied, within acceptable boundaries,to prevent the build-up of ruts. The deviation can be selected randomlyfrom alternative trajectories that ensure a continuous and steady travelwithin the congested area containing the originally-determined path.

After identifying a first potential path, the system assigns a score tothe first potential path based upon the path's difficulty, efficiency,safety, and/or tolerance level for deviations. In one implementation,difficulty is evaluated based upon the number of turns that are requiredby a driver undertaking a particular task. Difficulty can also beaffected by the type of the vehicle. For example, in some haul trucksthe driver sits on the left side of the vehicle. In that case, becausethe driver has improved visibility from the left side of the vehicleover the right, left-hand turns would be rated easier than right-handturns in the scoring algorithm. Similarly, when the selected target isin proximity to another vehicle (e.g., a target located next to ashovel), the difficultly can be evaluated based upon the visibility ofthe vehicle to an operator of the target vehicle. For example, whenapproaching a shovel, paths that allow the vehicle to be in view of theshovel operator for a greater length of time will be ranked easier thanpaths that obscure the shovel operator's view of the vehicle. Byallowing for greater visibility, the shovel operator can more easilyassist the vehicle to reach the desired target location.

In one implementation, to evaluate the safety of the potential path, thesystem analyzes how close to identified hazards and boundaries aparticular path will cause the vehicle to operate. Although thisanalysis may be performed solely based on proximity to particularhazards (or hazard zones defined around particular geographical featuresor hazards) and boundaries, other factors can be used in evaluating thesafety of a particular path. For example, using the consequencesdescribed above for particular hazards or boundaries, each path could berated for any combination of safety, productivity, or cost in a tieredapproach. The first tier would involve inefficiencies. For example, aparticular path may be rated lower if it calls for the vehicle to passthrough a particularly congested area of the mine, or take a longerroute, for example. There may be little risk or damage or injury in thatcase, but the path would still result in loss of resources as it wouldtake longer for the vehicle to reach the desired destination, and mayconsume more fuel as a result.

In a second tier, the paths can be scored based upon the likelihood ofdamage to equipment. If, for example, a particular path causes a vehicleto pass through an area of the mine where vehicle damage is likely tooccur, perhaps due to road conditions, or other traffic, the path couldbe scored lower than other paths.

Finally, in a third tier, the paths can be scored based upon thelikelihood of injury to mine workers. If, for example, a particular pathcauses a vehicle to pass through an area of the mine where injury islikely to occur (e.g., close to a blasting site, or near cliffs or otherlarge drops), the path could be scored lower than other paths. In somecases, if there is any risk of injury, the path is immediatelyinvalidated and a new path must be prepared.

In the tiered system described above, the tiers can be scaled so thatrisks of inefficiency do not result in as low a score as risks ofequipment damage or injury or death. In some cases, if a particular pathcreates any risk of injury or death, that particular path is immediatelyallocated a score of 0 (or any other score indicating that under nocircumstances will the path be used) and the process restarts at block1104 by generating a new potential path.

In step 1108, if at least one potential path's score exceeds aparticular threshold, the path is selected in step 1110. If, however,there are no paths having a sufficiently high score, the method returnsto block 1104 and a new path is generated. This process repeats until apath having a sufficiently high score is generated.

In some cases, the system will initially generate a pool of candidatepaths. Each path will then be scored, for example using the algorithmdescribed above. The candidate paths can then be ranked, with thehighest ranking path (assuming its score exceeds a particular threshold)being selected.

Returning to FIG. 6, after generating a suitable path to the target, instep 612 the system issues vehicle control orders and begins monitoringvehicle movement to provide feedback to an operator of the vehicle (ifpresent). FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing a series of steps 1200 thatmay be undertaken to complete step 612 of FIG. 6.

In step 1202, the system first determines whether the vehicle isoperated by a human driver, or if the vehicle is autonomous. If thevehicle is autonomous, in step 1204, the selected path is communicatedto the vehicle control system. The controlling entity for the autonomousvehicle can then use the path to navigate the vehicle to the selectedtarget.

If however, the vehicle is controlled by a human driver, the systemretrieves the vehicle condition parameters and calculates the vehicle'strajectory in step 1204.

In step 1208, the system analyzes the current position of the vehicleand the selected path and determines a feedback trajectory that wouldcause the vehicle to follow the path. If for example, the vehicle hasdeviated from the path, the system would display a feedback trajectoryfor the operator that would cause the vehicle to return to the path inan efficient and safe manner.

In step 1210, the system identifies any existing deviation between thevehicle's current trajectory and the trajectory determined in step 1208.Using the vehicle condition data (e.g., turning radius, stoppingdistance, etc.) the system then determines whether any detecteddeviation is so great that the vehicle will be unable to return to theselected path based upon the vehicle's performance capabilities. Forexample, the vehicle's turning radius may be too great to return thevehicle to the selected path. In that case, the system can generate anerror warning to the operator that the vehicle cannot return to theselected path. The operator can then restart the path selection processto generate a new path, or the system may automatically generate a newpath. In some cases, the operator may have to navigate the vehicle awayfrom the selected target to provide enough room for a new suitable pathto be identified.

When warning the vehicle operator regarding deviations from the selectedpath, the present system may use any suitable user interface device forcommunicating such information. Heads up displays or other devicedisplay screens, warning sounds, voice cues, or other indicators can allbe used to provide feedback to the operator.

Returning to FIG. 6, after generating the feedback trajectory, thesystem enters a control loop that allows the system to continuallymonitor the position and trajectory of the vehicle and generate feedbackinformation that allows the vehicle to proceed down the selected path.In step 614, the operator of the vehicle (either autonomous or humandriven) controls the vehicle for a predetermined period of time in step614. After that time period elapses, the system evaluates the vehicle'scurrent position and heading in step 616. In evaluating the vehicle'scurrent position, the system can use a position sensor (e.g., positionsensor 302 of FIG. 3) to identify the vehicle's current position andorientation. In some cases, though, where externally-mounted objectdetection systems are positioned around the selected target, as thevehicle gets close to the target, the vehicle can begin communicationwith the object detection systems to gather additional data describingthe vehicle's current position and orientation. The data received fromthe vehicle-mounted position sensor can then be combined with the datareceived from the external system to generate more accurate position andorientation data. At that time, the system may also access the hazardsand boundaries database to ensure that no new hazards have been created,or that hazards have not moved into the path of the vehicle.

In step 618, the system evaluates whether the vehicle has reached theselected target destination. If not, in step 620, the system evaluateswhether the vehicle's current path and heading are within acceptabletolerances. If so, the system returns to step 612, analyzes the currentvehicle position, heading, and the selected path and displays a newfeedback trajectory to assist the vehicle operator in navigating alongthe path. Depending upon system implementation, the feedback informationmay instruct the vehicle operator to turn the vehicle's steering wheelby a particular amount to navigate back to the path. The system can alsoadvise the driver to apply the brakes to slow the vehicle, or toundertake other maneuvers that are configured to return the vehicle tothe path.

If the vehicle's current path and heading are not within acceptabletolerances, the system returns to step 610 and recalculates a new pathto guide the vehicle to the selected target.

When the vehicle's position as determined in step 616 is determined tomatch the selected target's position, the vehicle is considered to havearrived at the target destination. Accordingly, step 618 has beensatisfied and the system moves to step 622 to complete the maneuver. Instep 622, the maneuver is completed and data collected during themaneuver can be stored for later analysis.

For example, during a particular maneuver, the system may periodicallyrecord the current position and heading of the vehicle, the currentpath, and information describing the current hazards and boundaries.That information can then be packaged and stored with metadataidentifying the vehicle operator, current time, vehicle condition data,target information (e.g., target vehicle identification), and logicalposition. The dataset can then be stored in an offline system forreview.

In some cases, because a vehicle cannot navigate directly into a targetdestination, a number of reverse points may be defined in closeproximity to target destinations. The reverse points can be selected toallow a vehicle operator, for example, to execute a controlled turnbefore backing into a particular target destination. The reverse pointsmay be particularly useful, for example, when a haul truck wishes tonavigate into position beside a shovel for receiving material.

FIG. 13 shows an example use of the present system to assist trucks inentering and leaving loading areas defined proximate to shovel 1305. Thearrangement of FIG. 13 shows a power shovel 1305 positioned at a face1302 for loading operations. Because the shovel can swing back andforth, there are two possible target destinations 1330 and 1335 thatwould allow a truck to position itself beside shovel 1305 to receivematerial.

In identifying the possible loading positions, there are a number ofshovel-related parameters of interest that are helpful when devising aguided loading scheme. The most significant parameter is the shovel'slocation which can be measured directly by a GPS receiver or calculatedon the basis of known dimensions of the shovel and the location of theGPS antenna. Additional useful parameters are the tail drag radius 1320,the corner drag radius 1315, and the boom radius 1325. These parametersset the outside envelope for the space the shovel will occupy duringloading operations, and represent an area outside of which the loadingpositions must be located. These parameters are illustrated in FIG. 13with reference to the center of rotation of the upper assembly of shovel1305.

According to methods of the invention, two loading envelopes 1330 and1335 are defined. The loading envelopes define the space in which haultrucks can be positioned prior to the commencement of loading. Bydefining loading positions on either side of shovel 1305, the loading ofhaul trucks can be made more efficient because shovel 1305 is notrequired to wait for access to a fresh haul truck. Instead, shovel 1305can swing around to the new haul truck located on the other side ofshovel 1305. Loading envelopes 1330 and 1335 are defined to be outsideof the arc defined by the tail and/or corner of the shovel, but withinthe reach of the bucket. The size and orientation of the loadingenvelopes 1330 and 1335 can vary depending on the make and model of thehaul truck, which determines the size and height of the truck bed.

Loading paths 1340 and 1345 are also defined, as described above.Loading paths 1340 and 1345 demarcate the acceptable space in which ahaul truck may travel as it backs into a loading envelope. Loading paths1340 and 1345 will generally be wider the farther the truck is from theloading envelope, requiring increasing precision as the truck nears theloading envelope. Additionally, loading paths 1340 and 1345 are definedin areas free of hazards or other no-go areas, for example, the areaoccupied by a dragline tether 1307 or overhead power cables.

Systems according to the invention also define reverse points 1350 and1355. Reverse points 1350 and 1355 are the regions to which a haul truckcan navigate prior to beginning its reverse movement along the loadingpaths 1340 and 1345 to the loading envelopes 1330 and 1335.

Loading envelopes 1330 and 1335, loading paths 1340 and 1345 and reversepoints 1350 and 1355 can be defined in, for example, a distributedobjects data or can be generated on-the-fly by a navigation system suchas system 300 described above with respect to FIG. 3. The locations ofthese various features (e.g., loading envelopes 1330 and 1335, loadingpaths 1340 and 1345, and reverse points 1350 and 1355) are accessed bythe system (e.g., system 300 of FIG. 3).

After identifying the various features, a navigation aid (e.g.,navigation aid 322 of FIG. 3) accesses the features and uses them toguide mine haul trucks into position according to methods describedabove (see, for example, FIG. 6-12). Additionally, the centralapplication can assign one of the two reverse points 1350 and 1355 to agiven truck as part of a haul truck dispatch system. For example, whenthe central application is aware that a first truck is located at afirst loading envelope 1330, a second truck is given a second reversepoint 1355 as a waypoint to which to navigate. Reverse points 1350 and1355 are generally assigned to trucks heading to shovel 1305 in analternating sequential manner depending on expected time of arrival.

While one or more embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated in detail, the skilled artisan will appreciate thatmodifications and adaptations to those embodiments may be made withoutdepartment from the scope of the present invention as set forth in thefollowing claims.

We claim:
 1. A system, comprising: a position sensor mounted to a haultruck, the position sensor being configured to identify a position ofthe haul truck; a navigation aid connected to the position sensor, thenavigation aid being configured to: identify a target destination forthe haul truck, calculate a path including the target destination, anduse the position sensor to monitor a progress of the haul truck alongthe path; and a user interface connected to the navigation aid, the userinterface being configured to display at least a portion of the path toan operator of the haul truck.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thenavigation aid is configured to display a target trajectory for the haultruck, the target trajectory being configured to direct the haul truckalong the path.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the navigation aid isconfigured to display a second target trajectory for the haul truck, thesecond target trajectory being configured to direct the haul truck tothe path.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the target trajectoryindicates a target orientation of the haul truck.
 5. The system of claim1, wherein the path includes a current position of the haul truck. 6.The system of claim 1, wherein the path is selected to avoid hazards orboundaries within a mining environment.
 7. The system of claim 1,wherein the path is at least partially determined by an operationallimit of the haul truck.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein thenavigation aid is configured to determine whether the haul truck hassufficient fuel to navigate along the path.
 9. The system of claim 1,wherein the navigation aid is configured to, when the navigation aiddetects the haul truck deviating from the path, display a warning to anoperator of the haul truck using the user interface.
 10. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the navigation aid is configured to: identify aperformance characteristic of the haul truck; and when the haul truckdeviates from the path, use the performance characteristic to determinewhether the haul truck is capable of returning to the path.
 11. Amethod, comprising: retrieving a location of a target destination from adistributed objects database, wherein the location of the targetdestination is at least partially determined by a position of a heavyequipment; calculating a path including the target destination; andmonitoring a progress of a haul truck along the path using a positionsensor.
 12. The method of claim 11, including displaying a targettrajectory on a display screen in the haul truck, the target trajectorybeing configured to direct the haul truck along the path.
 13. The methodof claim 12, including displaying a second target trajectory for thehaul truck, the second target trajectory being configured to direct thehaul truck to the path.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the targettrajectory indicates a target orientation of the haul truck.
 15. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the path includes a current position of thehaul truck.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the path is selected toavoid hazards or boundaries within a mining environment.
 17. The methodof claim 11, wherein the path is at least partially determined by anoperational limit of the haul truck.
 18. A method, comprising:determining a location of a target destination within a miningenvironment; calculating a path including the target destination throughthe mining environment; monitoring a progress of a haul truck along thepath using a position sensor; when the haul truck is located away fromthe path, displaying a first target trajectory for the haul truck, thefirst target trajectory being configured to direct the haul truck to thepath; and when the haul truck is located on the path, displaying asecond target trajectory for the haul truck, the second targettrajectory being configured to direct the haul truck along the path. 19.The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second target trajectoriesindicates orientations of the haul truck.
 20. The method of claim 18,wherein the path is selected to avoid hazards or boundaries within amining environment.